30 women killed in the name of honour in 2018: report

QUETTA: The Aurat Foundation will commence a 16-day awareness campaign from November 25 to December 10 in Baluchistan, aiming to reduce violence against women in different fields.

Every year the campaign starts on November 25, the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, and continues till December 10, the Human Rights Day.

Addressing a news conference at the Quetta Press Club on Friday, Programme Officer Muhammad Ishfaq Mengal said, “The Aurat Foundation in collaboration with UN Women and a non-governmental organisation will hold the campaign.”

The officer was accompanied by Women Development Assistant Director Rukhsana Baloch and Social Welfare official Salma Qureshi.

Various programmes would be held, including seminar and awareness walk, in Sardar Bahadur Khan Women University, panel discussion programme at Girls College and other programmes against violence against women at boys and girls schools, he added.

Mengal said, “Objectives of the programmes are aimed at creating awareness among the masses for decreasing violence against women at domestic level and help them in society.”

He said the foundation recorded 138 cases this year of which 51 women and 25 men were killed, adding that 30 women and 19 men were killed in the name of honour, 14 women committed suicide over domestic dispute while 21 women and eight men had been tortured to death in Balochsitan.

“Thirteen kidnapping, two acid-throwing and four sexual harassment cases against women were reported in the province,” he added.

Women Development Assistant Director Rukhsana Baloch said, “A number of measures are being taken to help women in different fields as decreasing domestic violence against women is the top priority in rural areas of province.”

She urged stakeholders, including women parliamentarians, to play their essential role for empowering women in backward areas of country, including Balochistan.

“An awareness campaign is significant in order to bring women out of their homes to struggle for their rights at each platform in the areas,” said Rukhsana, adding that several women were committing suicide due to domestic violence and other aggression.

She said they were supporting women in various sectors in collaboration with the provincial, federal governments and NGOs, adding that a majority of them were deprived of medical aid and other facilities due to lack of awareness.